Mexican Consulate weighs in on Ark. sobriety checkpoint arrests

By Ginny Laroe Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

BENTON, Ark. — The Mexican Consulate intervened on behalf of 15 Mexican citizens who were in the Saline County jail over the weekend after learning they were not advised of their right to notify consular officials.

The situation prompted Sheriff Bruce Pennington to implement a notification process, based on a State Department manual, to comply with an international treaty that he said he was previously unaware of.